Motor operated motion picture camera x



P. A. STEPHENSON MOTOR OPERA'i'ED MOTION PICTURE CAMERA Original Filed Jan. 8, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 21, 1932.

ATTORNEYS.

P. A. STEPHENSON J 21, 1 2 moron OPERATED MOTION PICTURE CAMERA R 1 502 Original Filed Jan. 8. 1929 2 heets-Sheet 2 V 166 ATTORNEYS.

Reissued June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PA'O'I: A. STEPHENSON, OF LEONIA: NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR. TO EASTMAN KODAK COM- PANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MOTOR OPERATED MOTION PICTURE CAMERA briginaI No. 1,809,258, dated June 9, 1931, Serial No. 331,111, filed. January 8, 1929. Application for reissue filed February 20,

This invention relates to photography and more particularly to power-operated moving 1 picture machines. One object of my invention is to provide a film-moving mechanism with a plurality of accurately timed speeds which can be automatically obtained. Another object of my invention is to provide a -motor with asuitable gearing and governorv by which the pulldown mechanism may be driven at different speeds, the relation of the governor to the gearing being normally arranged to move the pulldown mechanism at a normal or fixed speed. Another object of my invention is to provide a motion picture machine with a multiple speed motor and with a control button for the motor which must be manually operated to change the motor from a normal speed. Another object of my invention is to provide a poweroperated machine in which there is a release trigger and a latching device on the release trigger to hold it in an operative position while a control button is being actuated to operate the mechanism at a speed other than normal. Still another object of my invention is to provide a motor release and control mechanism which are protected against accidental operation; and other objects will appear hereinafter from the following specification, the novel features being particularly pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters may denote like parts throughout Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a motion picture camera equippedwith a multiple speed motor constructed in accordance with and illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation showing parts of the motor structure removed from the camera casing;

Fig. 3- is an enlarged fragmentary detail,

partly in section, of the motor-releasing mechanism Fig. 4 isan enlarged sectional view throughthe governor; v

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of a camera mechanism plate removed from the 1932. Serial No. 594,345.

picture camera work. Such speeds may be useful for taking slow motion pictures or for taking less than the usual number of exposures per second for color photography. The camera should be arranged, however, to normally run at the usual speed,that is,

sixteen frames per second, since for most pur-' poses this is the most desirable speed.

In accordance with my invention, I have equipped a motion picture camera with a mo tor and gearing through which the pull-down mechanism may be normally driven at the usual speed of sixteen frames per second and the speed may be altered by pressing a control button, it being necessary to continue the pressure on this control member so long as the extra speed is required. I This automatically prevents an operator from accidentally runninguthe camera at a speed other than normal."

As shown in Fig. 1', as an example of my invention, a motion picture camera 1, of a well known type, may include an objective 2 in a focusing mount 3 and a finder 4 of the reflecting type, mountedon the top wall of front elevation. of the mechanismthe camera to receive an image reflected from '1 a finder lens 5. A direct view finder 6 may be hinged at the top of the camera and a sight 7 for this finder may be hinged at the opposite end. The usual handle 8 is attached to the top of the camera by means of links 9.-

' speed. If desired, to alter the speed from standard, a push button 11 may be pressed inwardly against spring pressure, thus altering the speed of the pulldown mechanism, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The camera is preferably equipped with a spring motor and the spring may be placed under tension by means of a winding handle 12. The spring motor is included under the embossing 13 in the camera wall and this embossing 1s pro-vlded with an offset curved member 14 which constitutes a raised guard of the camera, so that the flange 18 is 'ap,

proximately of the same height as that of the top of the control member, as will best appear from Fig. 7. As the trigger 10 and control member 16 are both protectedby their mounting, there is very little likelihood-of accidental operation and by laying the cam-v era down on the side 17, neither the control button 16 nor the trigger 10 will be actuated. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a trigger 10 is mounted on a shaft 19, which carries a latching lug 20, this lug having a shoulder 21 adapted to snap over a high point 22 of the spring member 23. The position of this spring is such that the trigger 10 may be released to move the lug 24 out of the path of the striker 25 carried by shaft 26, this shaft operating the pulldown mechanism 27, as shown in Fig; 5. The pulldown mechanism may be a claw of any standard construction.

\Vhen the pulldown is operated through gearing which will be hereinafter more fully described, the striker 25 revolves with the shaft 26 and by moving the trigger upward- 1y, member 24 will contact with striker 25 and stop the mechanism.

The control member or button 11 is mounted on the mechanism plate 28bymean's of rivets 29 which pass through the plate and hold a spring arm 30 to which the button 11 is fixedly attached; Arm 30 has an extension 31 which engages in a slot .32 of the slide 33, this member. as indicated in Fig. 6, being mounted on a pair of studs 34, so that it may slide a. limited distance when the spring 36 is flexed. This spring, however, tends to hold the parts in the position in Fig. 6.

Theslide 33, see Fig. 7, carries a spring yoke 35 having arms 36 and 37. Each arm is adapted to shift either gear 38 or 39 which are loosely mounted on shaft 48 into contact with a clutch member 40,that is to say. each of the gears have slots 41 and '42 which 'are engaged by the ends of the yoke arms.

In addition, the gears have teeth 43 and 44 adapted to engage teeth 45 and' 46011 the clutch member 40 which is pinnedat 47 to a shaft 48, which is driven by power as will be presently described.

As will also be seen from Fig. 7,. gears 38 and 39 have wider teeth than the gears 49 and governor.

50 with which they mesh, so that in shifting these gears, the teeth-remain in mesh and do not become disengaged. It should also be noted that when one gear is brought into contact with the clutchmember 40, the other gear is moved from such contact and, when so removed, may turn idly upon the shaft 48. In-the present instance, I have equipped the camera for operation at a normal speed or at aspeed which is subnormal, being then particularly adapted for color work where there is either little motion or slow motion only. g

The governor shown in Fig. 4 is driven from gear 57 (Fig. 7) by means of a pinion 58, pinion 58 drives shaft 59 and carries a collar 60 adapted to compress a spring 61 when the governor shell is forced from a fullline position to a broken-line position by means of the following, mechanism. Flange 62 is carried on a tubular support 63 having pivots 64 for weights 65, these weights being carried on the long arms 66 of bell crank levers pivoted at 64 and having ends 67 adapted to engage a flange 68 on the tubular member 63. As thespeed of the governor increases. the weights are thrown from their full-lined positions, causing the bell crank levers to move the flange 62 outwardly until it comes in contact with a friction plug 163 carried by a bracket 164 attached by rivets 165 to a support 166. Pinion 57 which drives the governor is fixed on shaft 48 which is positively driven through one or the other of the following gear trainsgears 53, 52, shaft 70, gears 51, 56, shaft 55 and gears 49 and 38, or gears 53, 52, shaft 70 and gears 51, 50 and 39. All the gearsof these trains are in rotation during the operation of the camera and can be selectively connected to the shaft 48 through clutch member 40 as described above.

The shaft 26 which reciprocates-the' pull down claw 27 is always driven through the following gear traingears 53, 52, shaft 70 and gears 51,- 50 and 72-the gear 53 bemg carried by spring housin 54 which rotates when the spring is release by pressing down the camera trigger 10.

By means of the foregoing mechanism I can operate the pulldown at a normal speed for ordinary work. and at a subnormal speed for color work where there'is either little motion or slow motion only. This is done by selecting one or the other of the alternate governor operating gear trains to actuate the The gear train including gear 38 which normally drives the governor bears a lower ratio to main driving gear 53 than the train including gear 39. Thus when the former train is rotating the govern or, the gear 53 can and does attain a higher speed before being retarded than it does when the latter train is in operation. The various gear trains are so designed that during normal operation the pulldown acts 16 times a second and only ,8 times when button 11 is depressed. With whether the pulldown mechanism is operated at full speed or at reduced speed. This is an advantage, since it permits the speed to be more accurately obtained and by regulating the speed properly for one of the two speeds, the other must necessarily be accurate.

Gear 51 is carried by shaft 7 O which operates a sprocket 71 for moving the film toward a gate (not shown) through which it is intermittently, moved bythe claw pulldown 27 A take-up film spool shaft 73 may be operated through a belt 74 by means of a pulley on shaft (not shown). A shutter 7 5' maybe mounted upon a shaft 76 which may be operated through the gears 77 and 78, the latter meshing with gear 51. The mechanism used to move the sprocket take-up reel shaft and shutter form no part of my present invention.

7 Having thus described I claim as new and desire to secure by-Letters Patent is:

'1. In motion picture apparatus, the combination with a pulldown mechanism, of a power drive for the mechanism, a trigger for releasing the power drive, mechanism associated with the power drive adapted to be moved to an operative position for altering the normal speed of the pulldown mechanism,

'a push button control member for actuating said mechanism, and a casing for enclosing said parts, an embossing on the casing adjarfzent the trigger and forming a guard thereor. h

2. In motion picture apparatus, the combination with a pulldown mechanism, of a power drive for-the mechanism, a trigger for releasing the power drive, mechanism associated with the power drive adapted to be moved to an operative position for altering the normal speed of the pulldown mechanism, a push button control member for actuating said mechanism, and a casing enclosing said mechanism, depressions in the casing for the trigger and control member.

3. In motion picture apparatus, the combination with a pulldown mechanism, of a power drive for the mechanism, a trigger for releasing the power drive, mechanism associated with the power drive adapted to be moved to an operative position for altering the normal speed of the power drive, a push button control member. for actuating said mechanism, a casing enclosing said mechanism and apertured for the trigger and control mechanism, and a countersunk seat surrounding the control mechanism whereby the.

control member may'lie within said countersunk seat.

4. A motion picture apparatus, the combination with a pulldown, of a power drive my invention, whattherefor, a governor for controlling the speed of the pulldown, two sets of meshed gears adapted to actuate the governor from the power drive, a clutch member adapted to render one set of gears operative at a time, said clutch member including a device adapted to connect alternatively one gear of each gear train to a power-driven shaft, and a clutchoperating device extending through a wall of the apparatusin position to be actuated from the outside thereof, and a resilient connection between said clutch-operating device and said clutch.

5. In motion picture apparatus, the combination with a film-moving mechanism, of a power drive therefor, a governor for controlling ,t-he speed of the pulldown, two gear trains adapted alternatively to drive the governor from the power drive, a clutch adapted to connect either geartrain to a power-driven shaft, a control for operating the clutch including a resilient device between the clutch and control.

6. In motion picture apparatus, the combination with a film moving mechanism, of a power drive therefor, a governor for controlling the speed of the pulldown, two gear trains adapted alternatively to drive the governor from the power drive, said gear trains each having a slidable gear, a fixed powerdriven element, means for engaging a slidable gear with the power-drive element including a slidable member, a resilient member connecting the slidable gear to the slidable member, and a control for operating the slidable member. v

7. In motion picture apparatus, the combination with a film-moving mechanism, of a power drive therefor, a governor for controllin the speed of the pulldown, two gear trains adapted alternatively to drive the governor from the power drive, said gear trains each having aslidable gear, afixed power-- driven element, means for engaging a slidable gear with the power-drive element including a slidable member, a control for operating the slidable connection, and a spring adapted to normally hold the control in a predetermined position.

8. In motion picture apparatus, the combination with a fihn-moving mechanism, of a power drive therefor, a governor for controlling the speed of the pulldown, two gear trains adapted alternatively to drive the governor from the power drive, said gear trains each having aslidable gear, a fixed power; driven element, means for engaging a slid-, able gear with the power-drive element including aslidable member, a resilient member member, and a spring tending to hold the control in a predetermined position.

9. In a motion picture apparatus, the combination with filmmoving mechanism, of a power drive therefor, gear shift mechanism adapted to be connected anddisconnected to a power driven element, a housing enclosing said mechanism, a control for the gear shift, 5 a second control for the power drive, a motor, and a handle for storing energy in said mo? tor, the control, second control and the handle all being located on one side of the lionsing enclosing the mechanism whereby the two control members may be simultaneously operated by an operator.

10. In a motion picture apparatus, the combination with film-moving mechanism, of a power drive therefor, gear shift mechanism adapted tobe connected and disconnected to a. power driven element, a housing enclosing said mechanism, a control for the gear shift, a second control for the power drive, a motor, and a handle for storing energy in said motor, the control, second control and the handle all being located on one side of the housing enclosing the mechanism said housing having raised portions adapted to form guards for the first and second mentioned control members to protect them from acci- 7 dental operation.

Signed at Leonia, New Jersey, this 6th day of February, 1932.

80 PAUL A. STEPHENSON. 

